The charitable sector took centre stage yesterday afternoon as community members, donors and representatives from 18 charities and non-profit organizations gathered for the inaugural Heart of Moose Jaw event at the Wakamow Valley Sportsman Centre.
Hosted by the Saskatchewan Community Foundation, the event showcased the work of local organizations, encouraged collaboration and highlighted the impact of charitable giving throughout the community.
Celebrating 25 years of community support
A major focus of the afternoon was the 25th anniversary of the Moffat Family Fund, one of the foundation’s longest-standing funds supporting the Moose Jaw area.
Celebrating 25 years of community support
A major focus of the afternoon was the 25th anniversary of the Moffat Family Fund, one of the foundation’s longest-standing funds supporting the Moose Jaw area.
According to the Saskatchewan Community Foundation, the fund has distributed approximately $1.5 million to local charities and community initiatives over the past 25 years.
During the event, representatives announced this year’s Moffat Family Fund grant recipients, including Hunger in Moose Jaw, Joe’s Place, the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council, Moose Jaw Transition House, the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), MADD Canada and the Saskatchewan Festival of Words, among others.
The program also highlighted several other funds supporting Moose Jaw through the Saskatchewan Community Foundation, including the Wilson Family Scholarship Fund, the Second Lieutenant Andrew Naismith Benevolent Fund, the Donavon Puttick Memorial Scholarship Fund and the G. Murray and Edna Forbes Foundation Fund.
It's also an opportunity for the community to come out and learn about the charitable sector and non-profit sector because they offer so much more to a community than the actual service that they might provide,
Connecting organizations and residents
Donna Ziegler, chief executive officer of the Saskatchewan Community Foundation, said the event was modelled after a similar gathering in Regina and was designed to help residents learn more about the organizations working behind the scenes to strengthen Moose Jaw.
“It’s also an opportunity for the community to come out and learn about the charitable sector and non-profit sector because they offer so much more to a community than the actual service that they might provide,” Ziegler said.
“They help build community belonging, they’re inclusive, and they really focus on the well-being of an entire community.”
The event also gave organizations an opportunity to connect with one another and explore ways to work together.
“They help build community belonging, they’re inclusive, and they really focus on the well-being of an entire community.”
The event also gave organizations an opportunity to connect with one another and explore ways to work together.
“Many don’t know all the programs and services that each of them provides,” Ziegler said. “To be able to collaborate with another charity or non-profit and see what they do, coming up with solutions together, that’s what Saskatchewan people do.”
Reflecting on the afternoon, Ziegler said the enthusiasm from both organizations and attendees demonstrated the value of bringing the charitable sector together under one roof.
“I talked to almost everybody at the event and they truly enjoyed having the opportunity to get together to see what each charity does and to understand how they might get involved,” she said.
Building an annual tradition
Megyn Verbeek, a student co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Community Foundation who helped organize the event, said the goal was to celebrate the people and organizations making a difference in the community.
“We wanted to get all these charities linked together to connect with community members,” Verbeek said.
She credited the Moffat family for helping inspire the event through decades of support for local causes.
“Their daughters are so passionate about this community here, and they truly want to make a lasting impact here,” she said.
Ziegler also praised the work of the students who helped make the inaugural event a success.
We hope this continues in the future, that we build upon it, that more community members and leaders come out to see what these organizations are doing and how they're helping with the well-being of our community,
“Their daughters are so passionate about this community here, and they truly want to make a lasting impact here,” she said.
Ziegler also praised the work of the students who helped make the inaugural event a success.
“The students did an excellent job, especially Megyn,” she said.
Ziegler said organizers hope the event becomes an annual tradition and continues to grow in the years ahead.
“We hope this continues in the future, that we build upon it, that more community members and leaders come out to see what these organizations are doing and how they’re helping with the well-being of our community,” she said.
While attendance figures were not the focus, Ziegler said the event’s success was measured by the conversations taking place throughout the room.
“It’s not about bringing your wallet,” she said. “It’s about learning about what the charities and non-profits do right in your community and allowing them to share the stories they have.”
Organizations in attendance
The following organizations participated in the event:
- Square One Community Inc.
- Moose Jaw Humane Society
- Moose Jaw Public Library
- Creative Kids
- Saskatchewan Community Foundation
- Moose Jaw YMCA
- Hope Ministries Moose Jaw Inc.
- Hunger in Moose Jaw
- Farmland Legacies
- Briercrest
- Western Development Museum
- Festival of Words
- Moose Jaw Family Services
- Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Moose Jaw
- Joe's Place
- Peers MJ
- Moose Jaw Transition House
- John Howard Society
